Bring Me To Life
by tangledshadows
Summary: A FAX fanfiction. The third in the songfic series. Fang needs to bring Max to life from her coma. Based on: 'Bring Me To Life by Evanescence. Sort of heart wrenching but there's still a happy ending!


AN: I do not own James Patterson's character or the song 'Bring Me To Life'. I do however own the plot.

Bring Me To Life  
by tangledshadows

He hated being back in the hospital. The antiseptic smell, the needles, the latex gloves, and the white coats, especially the white coats reminded him of the School. He could only imagine how Max was feeling. He turned away from the flock minus Max to swipe at a tear. He couldn't let them see him cry. Not Fang, strong, stoic, positively unresponsive him. 

It wasn't supposed to happen like this. He and Max had a plan. Everything would have fallen into place after she saved the world. But then stupid Ari changed everything. Everything.

"I'm going to go check on Max," he told the flock. "Iggy, you're in charge."

As he walked away, he could hear Angel whisper, "It's very hard on him. He loves her."

Easy for her to say; she doesn't feel what he does, what his heart does.

He pushed the door to Max's room open. "Max?" he called, then mentally kicked himself. She wouldn't be able to answer; she was hooked up to that creepy breathing thing. All thanks to Ari.

Quietly, like a shadow, he approached her bed, took her hand and sat on a rough wooden chair. Instantly, their eyes met.

_How can you see into my eyes  
Like open doors?  
_

Just seeing Max lying on the white sheet, in her white hospital gown dotted with blue flowers, tore his heart out. He began to shake with fury as he controlled the urge to scream, growl and roar. Stupid Ari. He hated Ari- with a passion. Even more than before.

Max's grip on his fingers tightened. This was Fang's cue to remove the clear mask over her mouth and nose so she could talk. "Don't do anything to him Fang," she said breathlessly. "I will not love a killer."

"How can I not Max?" When she didn't answer, he yelled, "Answer me! He shot you in the heart! On purpose!"

"No. He's changed."

"Horse crap! It was on purpose!"

She shook her head slightly. "I'm sorry you feel that way."

After that she did not speak.

And neither did he.

He just sat there holding her hand.

Until he felt he grip loosening. This was when she started to slip away.

_Leading you down into my core  
Where I've become so numb  
Without a soul; _

"Doctor!" he yelled, watching Max's eyes flutter shut, hearing her breathing becoming too steady. He looked at the heart monitor. Her heartbeat began to slow. "Doctor!"

Some actual, certified Whitecoats rushed in. "Mr. Ride, we need you to leave," one said to him calmly.

"No! I won't!"

"It's too late," another said, one who had been working on Max. "She's in a coma."

Stupid Ari. He had taken the only thing Fang had ever wanted. Her heart, her love. _  
_

_My spirit's sleeping somewhere cold,  
Until you find it there and lead it back home.  
_

Max found herself in her world. It had castles and clean brick roads, and random bunches of healthy flowers. It was her fairytale world. The world she made up when she couldn't handle it all; the Voice, Itex, saving the world, Fang… But now she didn't have to worry about that. At least she thought so.

After a few days of staying in her world, she began to get lonely. She started to miss Fang, the flock, even the Voice. She chuckled at the thought then stopped. Time to figure out how to get out of here.

_  
(Wake me up.)Wake me up inside.  
(I can't wake up.)Wake me up inside.  
(Save me.)Call my name and save me from the dark.  
_

It had been two months and he still diligently watched her face and held her hand, watching, listening, and feeling for any sign of life. But there never was. He wouldn't give up. He could just hear her calling out for him. Calling for her savior. Someone to bring her to life once more.

_(Wake me up.)Bid my blood to run.  
(I can't wake up.)Before I come undone.  
(Save me.)Save me from the nothing I've become._

  
The flock was worried. They had thought he would mourn for a while then take on the role of the Leader. The Decision Maker. But he didn't. All he did was sit by her bed, constantly proclaiming, "We can't abandon her! She'll hate us."

Fang had also thought he'd be able to move on. But this had affected him more than he had envisioned. __

Now that I know what I'm without  
you can't just leave me.  


Max searched for a door out of her head. She tore through castles and stamped down roads in a fruitless search. She knew there was no door. Before, she had always counted on the realness of the life of being a freak mutant to bring her back, to jar her into reality. But now, hidden away from everyone, no one can bring her back.

_Breathe into me and make me real.  
Bring me to life.  
_

Fang had always scoffed at Max's love of fairytales. Well, one in particular. Ever since Jeb had taught him, Max and Iggy to read (before Iggy was blind), she would carry around a book called 'The Great Big Book of Fairytales'. The pages were worn near the beginning of book because was where the story of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was.

_  
_Whenever Fang had asked her what was so interesting about a stupid made up story, she'd say things like, oh, Snow White had a family and so much to live for but then problems come and she's put in a coma. Then a handsome prince comes and kisses her and then she wakes up and they all live happily ever after.

Before, he had scoffed at her hobby but now, he could help but think of the similarities between Max and Snow White. Maybe just like the keeper of seven dwarfs, all Max needed to wake up was a kiss.

Slowly, carefully, as if she was still awake and needed to be prepared, he leaned down and touched his lips to hers.

He pulled back quickly, watching her fingers for twitching, her eyes for fluttering.

Nothing.

Stupid fairytales.

"Okay Max," she told herself. "Calm down. There's got to be a way out of here. You created this place. Just create a way out. Simple, no?" She stopped when she realized what she was doing. "First sign of insanity: talking to yourself."

Walking out of the castle she was living in she thought to herself, why didn't I create any people? Then it hit her, the people she would have created would have been exactly like the people in her real life.

She had to get back. She had to wake up. 

_(Wake me up.)Wake me up inside.  
(I can't wake up.)Wake me up inside.  
(Save me.)Call my name and save me from the dark.  
_

She sat near some daisies, cross legged and closed her eyes. First step to getting out, remembering how she got in. Seven years ago, on a really, really, hot summer day, Fang made her mad. Something about how he could fly faster than her. Pfft. Like her nine year old ego was going to take that. So after she beat him, she ran to her bed and sat, just thinking of the world that Snow White lived in.

Then she was there. In that world. For what seemed like hours, she played among the fields and slid down the banisters. When Angel came in looking for a stuffed animal, she realized it had only been a few minutes.

After, she had realized she had concentrated on the world so much, that it had appeared. Now, all she had to do was concentrate on a door.

_(Wake me up.)Bid my blood to run.  
(I can't wake up.)Before I come undone.  
(Save me.)Save me from the nothing I've become.  
_

First she imagined what she thought a door might look like in this type of setting: red wood, curved golden handles and stained glass windows. She opened her eyes. Nope, nothing.

Perhaps it was because that door belonged to this period which she was trying to get out of. So she pictured a perfectly modern automatic grocery store door, complete with the breeze that whips at your hair. 

Maybe something more familiar, she thought as she imagined the door to her room in the E house. When nothing appeared, she got desperate and imagined a door from the School.

Nothing happened and her hopes were depressingly dashed.

_  
Bring me to life._

Fang stared down at the lifeless blond, having an epiphany. It had been five months and diligently came back every day, sitting by her bed…just waiting.

But five months is a long time and the flock was getting restless. They only had so much money.

You'd think, because she –supposedly- loved him that much, she'd come back. But it had been five months. Vital signs were one thing, but her tenacity wouldn't have allowed so much time away from the real world. Maybe she wasn't coming back.

_  
I've been living a lie_  
_There's nothing inside._

Iggy slipped into the room with the rest of the kids following him. "Hey man," the blind blond said. "We're going to go get some food."

"What's the point of it all, Ig?" Fang asked quietly.

The flock slowly turned around, shocked by Fang's sudden turn of attitude. This wasn't the Fang that had hardly eaten and only went home for showers.

"I mean, if she isn't coming back, why put her on life support? All that is Max is gone. It's just a shell."

_  
Bring me to life.  
_

Max lay back on the daises, when suddenly a voice reverberated in the air. "Hey man."

Who was that… so familiar.

"We're going to get some food."

"Iggy!" Max cried. If Iggy was there then maybe Fang would be too. Why else you Bottomless Stomach Iggy be asking for permission to get food? _Shut up Max. I want to hear the rest, _her brain told her.

_Did my brain just tell me to shut up?_

_Yes. Now be quiet._

Another voice floated through fairytale land, rustling the grass. "What's the point of it all, Ig?" 

_Frozen inside without your touch,  
Without your love, darling.  
Only you are the life among the dead._

Fang! Wait… what?

"I mean," Fang continued, "If she isn't coming back, why put her on life support? All that is Max is gone. It's just a shell."

"No Fang. I'm coming back! I'm trying!"

_  
All this sight  
I can't believe I couldn't see  
Kept in the dark  
But you were there in front of me_

Now Nudge's voice came. "But Fang. We can't cut her off. The doctors say that her vital signs return to normal everyday."

Fang's voice cracked as he said, "I lost my faith in doctors long ago." 

There was a pause, like everybody was trying to compose themselves.

"Besides, it's been five months now. Us three are seventeen. Nudge, you're fourteen, Gassy's eleven and Angel's nine. We have to move on."

I'm seventeen? Max thought incredulously. _  
_  
_I've been sleeping a 1000 years it seems._

"She'll wake up Fang," Angel piped up. "I know it. Her thoughts are getting clearer. She's struggling to stay unconscious. She'll be back."

"We can't just leave her here," the Gasman cried. "After everything she did for us? That'd be horrible! And what if she was to wake up the moment after we took her off support and it was too late? That'd be horrible too!"

"Let's put it to a vote," Fang said quietly, truly tortured.

_  
I've got to open my eyes to everything.  
_

"We all vote no," Iggy said quickly and decisively.

"Think about it guys," Fang whispered. "In this state, you'll never hear her say, 'there's all ways a plan.', you'll never be comforted from your bad dreams by her, she'll never try and make you eggs, she'll never use her Maximum Ride card to buy you clothes again… This thing on the bed isn't Max, it's just a bunch of cells that look like Max."

_Without a thought  
Without a voice  
Without a soul_

No. No, no, no, no. They can't be seriously thinking of killing her. She only need a few more days.

"Fang! Fang! Fang! FANG!"

_  
Don't let me die here. There must be something more.  
_

_  
_The flock stared at Max, thinking over what Fang said. Then without a word they all turned to the door. "Let's go find a doctor," Nudge said, "So we can tell them to take her of life support."

The Gasman reached for the door as Angel hissed, "Wait." Her head whipped back to the bed. Fang turned also and what he saw made him rush to the side of the bed, where Max's head lay.

Pale lips parted slowly, to dry to move very far.

"Fang…."_  
_  
_Bring me to life._

Eyes widened.

"See?" Gassy cried. "I told you!"

Nudge ran out to find a doctor as Fang rushed to Max's side.  
_  
(Wake me up.)Wake me up inside.  
(I can't wake up.)Wake me up inside.  
(Save me.)Call my name and save me from the dark.  
_

Fang dipped his finger in a water jug and ran it over Max's lips. A pink tongue licked up the moisture and the lips moved again. "Fang."

Angel began to cry against Iggy, just relieved that Max was conscious enough so that she could read Max's mind; for the first time in five months. The Gasman was chattering with delight, proud that he was right about Max's life. Nudge came rushing back with a doctor.

The doctor raced to the hospital bed just as Max spoke again. "Bring me to life."

_(Wake me up.)Bid my blood to run.  
(I can't wake up.)Before I come undone.  
(Save me.)Save me from the nothing I've become.  
_

Max was turning and turning and turning, screaming Fang's name. Then she fell on to the soft, green grass. Then she rolled on to her back and stared at the sky. Slowly, a solid shape appeared and hung there, in space holding on to nothing.

A door.

Max jumped up and snapped her wings out. When she reached the door she touched it with her finger tips and it pushed open. Up she flew, in to reality again. 

The flock plus the doctor huddled around Max's bed. Each pair of eyes was glued to her face.

Eyelashes fluttered, and Max's irises shown. "Let's blow this popsicle stand."

_  
Bring me to life._


End file.
